Selling coupons on ebay - I don't get it.

[Mitchell Andrus]

I know someone who bought a "Save $50.00" coupon on ebay. The product was a $450.00 TV set. She paid 19 cents for the coupon. It was mailed to her with a 41 cent stamp. The coupon was good, she saved $50.00, minus the 19 cents of course.

I don't get how somone can list something on ebay, mail it at a loss (or at a slight profit) and continue to do this again and again. It's this woman's at-home business.

I'll assume the manufacturer rebates the coupon seller, right? Is the coupon buyer tracked through the ultimate purchase somehow? Via Credit card, address, coupon code?

[Chris Padilla]

She didn't have to pay for shipping (i.e. the stamp)?

Also, the seller may well make more money on other coupon selling and has to take the occasional (??) loss. I have some friends who buy coupons of eBay all the time. It has got to be the cheapest shipping item on there! :)

[Joe Pelonio]

Some of those are going to be free coupons that people collect, often available from manufacturer's websites for the asking. Many of these small inexpensive items on EB will have a fixed shipping price which is way more than the price of an envelope and stamp so they make $ on that too.